Introduction: Eastern European Political Cultures and the Need for Explanation: the Look from Inside

Abstract

This volume presents several authors who are developing research projects in various European universities and research institutions. In spite of the independent character of the analyses and of the most of the empirical observations and results reported here, there is something which unites them all, namely a certain similarity in looking at things from a political culture perspective. Moreover, there is something else which unites their perspectives over the Eastern European political cultures: a certain look from inside. The true motivation for what joins them all in this volume could be described as a need for explanation, no matter the different political and culture heritages of the countries, regimes, institutions and people targeted by the researches reported in this volume. It is this need for explanation which makes the true binding – either implicit or explicit – of this volume. What makes these few Eastern European political culture researches reported here prove the same need for explanation is the way they share the perception of the post-1989 Eastern European democracy experience, and certain stereotypes in relating variate political phenomenology to political culture.